Post: #26

(04-24-2013 03:21 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  

(04-24-2013 02:11 PM)haywire Wrote:  Have you tried Google Voice?

You get an American number that you can hook up with a smartphone using the Google Voice app.

You can also use it with your gmail account and make/receive calls and texts using the gmail interface.

Works seamlessly and smoothly everytime.

This. I love GV. You can sync it with your cell phone number or create an entirely new number (with an area code you want). Free calls to US and Canada which is great for Montreal.

I'm not seeing how to sync a GV number with my cell number.
Could this have changed?

Post: #27

Ok, here's how those who are based outside of USA and Canada can get a free Google Voice number!!.

Step 1: Sign-up for a free account with Callcentric and click continue. CallCentric will send you a confirmation mail to verify your email address.


Step 2: Once you’ve verified the email address, provide your city and country code, agree to the terms and conditions and click “Sign me up.”


Step 3: Grab yourself a free US number.


Step 4: Now that we have got ourselves a US phone number, let’s activate it.


4a. Download and install Express Talk on your computer. The trial version is good enough for our task. Make sure that you don’t install any of the “optional components” like toolbars, etc. during the setup.


4b. During installation, choose the default options for all the wizard screens. When you are on “SIP Setup,” choose “Yes, I already have a SIP account” and click Next. Fill the SIP details which would be:

Username: (Taken from the left handside of the callcentric homepage in the format 1777** )
Server/Hostname: callcentric.com
Password: (callcentric password)


4c. Once the setup is complete, go back to your My CallCentric page and refresh it. You should see a notification saying – “your phone is registered.” Done!


Step 5: Download and install Hotspot Shield (make sure you decline the optional toolbar). This is required because you can’t sign-in to Google Voice from a non-US I.P. address.

[*] Hotspot Shield may insert audio ads in websites which are annoying but the reason I recommend it is because the software requires no configuration and you can easily disable it with a simple right click.


Step 6: Start Hotspot Shield, if it’s not already running on your system, and then visit IP2Location to confirm that your location is listed as “United States.” If not, disconnect your current Hotspot Shield session and reconnect to get yourself a new IP Address.


Step 7: Launch the Express Talk softphone software (you may have previously downloaded this software for activating your local US phone number).


Step 8: Open voice.google.com in your web browser and sign-in with your Google account. If you get an error message saying – “Google Voice is not available in your country” – clear your browser cookies and try again.

8a. It’s time to pick a Google Voice phone number. You may enter a US area code and some word to get a memorable phone number or pick one from the available choices. (You may need to switch off hotspot, if Google voice doesn't accept the number)

8b. Enter a four digit pin for voicemail, accept the Terms and continue.

8c. In the next screen, input your local US number that will ring when someone dials your Google Voice number.

8d. Click Call Me Now. Google Voice will call your local number and this should ring the Express Talk software. Enter the confirmation code using the dial pad of Express Talk and once it is verified, your Google Voice phone number is ready for use.


Step 9: You can now deactivate and uninstall Hotspot shield, as it is permently enabled on your google account. You will be able to use this your Google Voice number anywhere in the world.

Post: #28

(04-25-2013 01:00 AM)Bachelor Wrote:  I'm not seeing how to sync a GV number with my cell number.
Could this have changed?

You will need to download the official GV app for that, or some third party app like Talkatone.

Post: #29

(04-24-2013 08:05 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  You just lost me again with all these bridges and stuff.

You might as well be asking me to engineer a nuclear rocket headed for Fort Knox.

I was kind of afraid that was going to happen, but you asked a simple question with multiple solutions that vary in degree of difficulty.

Let me break it down for you as simply as I can. The phone plugs into a little black box, from that black box, you plug it into the internet (LAN) cable and then it works exactly like a regular phone.

Most hotels have wired ethernet connections. The hotels that only have WiFi, normally have at the front desk, WiFi receivers that you can plug your ethernet cable into, just as if it was a wall jack.

Alternatively, you can buy your own Wifi receiver and use it in conjunction with your phone. So the configuration would be: phone, plugged into little black box, plugged into wifi antenna and then you have a regular phone with an awesome international calling plan. Boom. Done.

Magic Jack: I've used this in the states, Colombia, and Norway and it worked like a charm, although in Norway, the internet speed was kind of slow and the connection was "crackly," but it was totally functional and served my purposes. Not sure I would want to be on it for a long time conducting important business, that's why would recommend Vonage over Magic Jack... But, Magic Jack is super cheap and it's effective as long as you have a booming internet speed.

Post: #30

(04-24-2013 01:02 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  As someone who needs to constantly be on the phone and call the USA when abroad, does anyone have any new solutions for crystal clear call quality?

A while back Qwest posted a pretty interesting solution: /thread-12634-...#pid237501 but that was about a year ago.

I am not interested in hearing about Skype or any spotty methods to call your MOM once a month. I am more interested in ways to call the USA with a USA number for serious biz.

Anyone use anything good?

I have used the following:

Free: Talkatone App + Google Voice account on iPhone

More reliable: A VoIP Account with SoftPhone App - Vonage, Viatalk, Broadvoice, Lingo, Packet8

Even better if you look for Business VoIP services - They might do better setup and customer care.

Check them out and see what works best for your 'scenarios'.

EDIT:
Noted your tech phobia..

VoIP - Voice over IP i.e. Internet Protocol.

Have someone set it up on your Phone as an App (VoIP SoftPhone) - Actually any of the VoIP Softphone / BYOD providers should provide decent instructions.

If you just dont want to deal with it, ask someone to set it up.

Once its done on your phone you just need INTERNET...
via..
- WiFi (Apt, Hotel, Cafe etc)
- 3G Data ..via your SIM /Cell connection (Anywhere.. with decent cellular reception).

Post: #31

Google Voice set up-

Quote:-Please note that Google Voice is only available in the US
-You will be required to verify an existing US phone number to get a Google Voice number

It seems simple enough, but with limitations, only FROM US to international, not for world roaming.

Post: #32

http://optimal.marketing/blog/google-voi...ete-guide/

This guy I think did a good job explaining google hangout.

Post: #33

I used to have Google Voice in the US, but Google doesn't allow you to use it outside the US anymore.

I use RingTo now. Similar to Google Voice (get or port your US number, entire service is free, desktop and mobile apps, etc) but they let you use it outside the US.

https://ring.to/

Post: #34

(08-18-2015 02:55 AM)262 Wrote:  I used to have Google Voice in the US, but Google doesn't allow you to use it outside the US anymore.

I use RingTo now. Similar to Google Voice (get or port your US number, entire service is free, desktop and mobile apps, etc) but they let you use it outside the US.

https://ring.to/

I just tried to get an account to try this "RingTo" Do you have to have an American number to get started? I tried using my phone number but it refuses to send text/call confirmation to my foreign number.

Post: #35

Do you mean Google voice doesn't work for non us ip addresses anymore or that you can't sign up for it from outside the US but can use it abroad if you already have an account?

Post: #36

(08-18-2015 02:55 AM)262 Wrote:  I used to have Google Voice in the US, but Google doesn't allow you to use it outside the US anymore.

I use RingTo now. Similar to Google Voice (get or port your US number, entire service is free, desktop and mobile apps, etc) but they let you use it outside the US.

https://ring.to/

Supposedly Google hangout is the solution for calling outside the U.S. to the US. I dunno I am trying to get this sorted. Anyone know?

I know people complain about Skype but does that work at least?

Post: #37

OP do you want to do this from a mobile phone or from sitting in an office / hotel on a desk line?

Post: #38

(08-18-2015 06:31 AM)CamelToe Wrote:  I just tried to get an account to try this "RingTo" Do you have to have an American number to get started? I tried using my phone number but it refuses to send text/call confirmation to my foreign number.

Never tried it with a number outside the US. Not sure if you can port a number outside the US to the service either. If I had to guess, your best bet would be for them to give you a US number. Though maybe you were trying that and they were unable to send a confirm text/call to your foreign number. Unfortunately I'm not the expert here, just saying it works for me abroad (when people call my US number, it rings the apps [I doubt they forward to foreign numbers]).

Post: #39

(08-18-2015 07:03 AM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Do you mean Google voice doesn't work for non us ip addresses anymore or that you can't sign up for it from outside the US but can use it abroad if you already have an account?

It doesn't work for non-US IP addresses. I had it in the US, but when I tried to use it abroad, Google said no go.

Post: #40

(08-18-2015 08:40 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  Supposedly Google hangout is the solution for calling outside the U.S. to the US. I dunno I am trying to get this sorted. Anyone know?

I know people complain about Skype but does that work at least?

Google Hangouts work. I've even used the video chat abroad.

Post: #41

Google hangouts or calling from your gmail inbox is now completely free. I use it weekly. With the Google hangouts app you can even call from your phone.

Post: #42

Why not just sign up for some international call forwarding service?

US person calls US based phone number -> connects directly to personal phone in foreign country.

This website seems to offer a cheap service
https://www.uwtcallback.com/call_my_us_number.html

$13 a month for 200 minutes. Not shabby.

Sometimes i'd rather pay cash for something that just works. No hacking, no tricks. *hands in nerd card*

Post: #43

You guys are all going about this 100% incorrectly with the exception of xmlenigma he knows what he is talking about but alot of those companies he mentioned are no longer a round. You can simply get a hosted server from Amazon Web Services they are free for one year and dirt cheap there after aws.amazon.com . Download an IP PBX (a phone system) there are plenty of free ones out there FreePBX, Elastix, 3cx, asterix etc... (freepbx.org, 3cx.com, elastix.org, asterix.org) and the list goes on simply google search for Free Business phone system etc... Then you purchase a sip trunk (which is a voip line, you can pay per minute or per line) Call Centric, VoIP MS, flow route, Voice Carrier, MegaPath, NBS, Appia, NexVortex, siptrunk.com etc... you get a US number and setup a soft phone on your laptop, or cell phone there are plenty of free soft phones google soft phone.... Now you are dialing, or getting calls on your laptop, or cell phone (or a desk phone if you want but its very inconvenience to travel with an actual desk phone) via a US number and US phone service anywhere in the world and its dirt cheap as youre paying regulaer VoIP cost which are actually a fraction of regular phone service price. If you have some technical ability you should be able to figure it out it doesnt take genius, or you can simply pay someone from Odesk/UpWork there are plenty of guys whom know what they are doing and will do it cheap. You're Welcome!